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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lash · racket · chip · wave · season · stick · fine · degree

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — temperature
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chip — to eat
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. season — in sport
  11. degree — an amount
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. chip — for betting
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. fine — all right
  22. season — of the year
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lash — an eyelash

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com